Tag Archive: Light worker

How vast is the mind? When we conjure up huge distances in the mind our brain seems border-less in its periphery. Take our own solar system with its planets: Within the mind we can visualize the red planet Mars as we whiz by in our thoughts. Seconds later we pass Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar System. To the left is an image of Jupiter I took from the backyard using my telescope. Jupiter alone is over 628 million miles from Earth! Soon we reach the rings of Saturn and the icy blue reaches of Uranus and Neptune. We can visualize what it might be like on planets orbiting other stars in the night sky – some millions of light years away. When we look through a large enough telescope we can see other Galaxies, different from our own – some hundreds of billions of miles from Earth. Then there are the galaxies and deep space objects we can’t see – their light so ancient its energy and vibration has yet to reach Earth. How is it possible to conjure up such vast distances within the mind? How big is the mind and does it have a border? What is a thought? Where do thoughts arise and where do they go?

These are things worth contemplating….

What about the inner world of sub atomic physics. A single cell’s nucleus mirrors that of a planet orbiting afar: Electrons orbiting the protons and neutrons like moons orbiting a host planet. Each cell nucleus spaced like planets and stars across the vast and intricate structure of the human brain. Over 100 billion cells dotting the night sky of the brain – vast, border-less, and possibly infinite…

How do we fit in all this…? The Universe with its myriad of star laden galaxies and the sub atomic Universe infinite in its structure… There isn’t just the Universe and then us – something detached and separate… In order to understand the Universe in simple terms we need to consider ourselves part of the equation. The same can be said for the sub atomic world within. Just the act of observing microscopic particles changes their result. We are part of the result. We are part of the Universe. There is not one and then the other. We need to consider ourselves part of something so vast it transcends earthly dogma. So vast and connected that anything is possible because within the Responsive Universe there are infinite possibilities.

Can you imagine? Having the ability to go back in time and redo some the things we maybe regret. Or even better, return to the past with the wisdom we now garner? Yeah, that would be pretty cool wouldn’t it? If I could go back in time I would tell my younger self to worry less, not care what other people think, be a leader not a follower; and above all, love myself unconditionally…

Just one problem… That is not reality is it? More of a fantasy I think….

There is a reason we grow and mature. There is a reason we have to learn the hard way. I call it social evolution. Every past positive and negative thought, action and reaction contributes to the person you are today. Life is a university in learning. How else are we to discover our true self? It is worth noting that none of us are perfect. Many of us have had less than stellar childhoods; maybe we had a bad break up last year, a terrible loss or wish we would have said or done different things in retrospect. I think that is pretty normal.

The thing to realize is that every present moment is a new start. We can’t go back in time and change the negative memories, but we can stop them from reoccurring in the present moment. Imagine being the director of a movie; except the movie is your life story. Maybe this movie starts off a bit negative. You may even feel sorry for the main character. But as a director you can create any ending you like. We all want to feel good after a movie right? The idea is to understand that as directors of our own lives, our past script may have sucked, but you have the power to save this movie from the .99 cent bargain basket at Walmart and make it a blockbuster!

Understand that you are the director, not a victim, and write your very own happy ending. It can be that easy when you stop complicating things and understand that every new moment in life is an opportunity to be happy.

I am a person who is a student and mentor on a voyage to self-discovery and enlightenment. My own personal awakening years ago birthed much of my philosophy. An awakening is an immediate or sometimes gradual realization of a reality different from what you always believed. I like to call this different reality a “True Reality.” Waking up from my ordinary life and seeing how things fit together has propelled me forward to fulfillment. This quality of knowing is like seeing 20/20 for the first time. This vision, the awareness, and the feelings sound like they would be jarring and intense, but my awakening felt like a pleasant windfall. I immediately knew how to act and react to challenges and stress. I had a new openness and clarity with life. Things were brighter and clearer. Even my most challenging problems seem to be palatable.

Still, knowing the right answers does not mean we always act skillfully and soulfully. Such feelings of energy and focus require diligence and determination. We need to center our body and minds in the present; sans of past and future; fear and fantasy: A endless task of mindfulness. I still struggle against ego, right and wrong; faced with the same challenges and conflicts that effect us all. My view points on religious dogma tend to get me in trouble with the religious right; my energy and drive continually needs to be rekindled. I am just a person. I had a forgettable adolescence. My first child was stillborn. I have struggled with addiction, marital problems, mediocrity, and utter isolation. But I am a person who has looked misery in the eye and asked the question, “Is there more to life than this?”

So, I am someone who has been there. We probably have more in common than we know. We both have stories to tell, some good and some bad. We have good friends and adversaries. We have faced success and loss. We are just working our way through this thing called life. Our knowledge comes from our life experiences; our faith from knowing that we have in our possession the keys to unlocking the door to happiness. Do I have an answer for everything? Not a chance. As a mentor, I believe more in cultivating an awareness of environment and self that allows someone to discover answers on his or her own. My goal is to guide people in the right direction and pose questions that may spur a change in perspective and an awakening. I don’t believe, like many organized religions, that truth is one thing, that it is recorded as the word of God, and that the word is fixed and unchanging. I believe we all have pure wisdom inside each of us. The goal is finding our inner voice that connects to our True Nature, thus leading us down the evolutionary path of self-discovery.

That is why I wrote the Responsive Universe – Illumination of the Nine Mandalas. Let this book be proof that karma, meditation and positive energy can lead to a better life – that if we yearn for betterment and meditate on our dreams – they will come true! This book of nine mandalas or chapters is my awakening. But it is more than that. I took this knowledge gained through self-discovery and compared it with the knowledge of great writers, philosophers and spiritual leaders like Joseph Campbell and the Dalai Lama. I realized my thoughts and ideas were not that abstract. I realized that science could bridge spirituality and that we are all connected at the sub-atomic level – our very thoughts, actions and reactions changing the fabric of the Universe.

I feel like there has been this gap or hole in the collective narrative that is wellness books; especially books on spirituality. We see plenty of self-help books on the shelves talking about what we need to do to be happier people. How do we achieve happiness? God knows there is plenty of that. In my own spiritual quest I have been just as interested in the how of enlightenment and also the WHY of enlightenment. There are plenty of books to teach us how to be happier. But what about the mechanics behind such ideas? I have never been a proponent of blind faith and that is why the Bible is not on my shelf of favorite self-help books. I like to know the science and reasoning behind things like karma, God and the afterlife. I think there is this global thirst to know and believe in God – Yet for me personally, organized religion continues to fall short with answers to the biggest questions of why… Why do we suffer? Why do we exist? where do we go when we die? WHY?

So, in researching and writing the Responsive Universe – Illumination of the Nine Mandalas, I worked diligently to discuss topics of spirituality, God, human origin, karma and meditation and also the science behind such ideas. Take the concept of an afterlife: Can Science Prove there is an Afterlife is one of my most popular blog posts. Why? Because blind faith is just not enough for some people. People want to know that science can prove we live on in some facet after death. It is more reassuring, especially for those that are educated and awake to the wonders of the Cosmos. It is a big place out there in the Universe and science is now beginning to explain our connections to this vast and impressive quantum Universe.

So, the goal of the Responsive Universe is to explain our most enduring questions with answers based more on science and less on conjecture. Couple that with helpful meditations and insightful daily life practices; and I have taken this book to another level with empowering steps to find happiness and understanding within this Responsive Universe. The Responsive Universe is a unique book: It is approachable and understandable; and yet it is intelligent and philosophical in nature. In the RU I am not afraid to question religious authority. In the RU we tackle situations of loss, dealing with our past as well as God and positive energy. Each chapter builds on the next as we journey through this Mandala of life.

Who should read this book? Anyone that has questions about life that are not being answered by conventional religion and daily life. If you are interested in Buddhism or how science explains God and our place within the Cosmos; this book is for you! A reborn christian may not like this book – its ideas and premise will threaten their forged dogmatic views. Nothing is more scary than having your belief systems questioned. Yet it is fear and guilt that holds us from true self-discovery. What if I told you that you do not need religion to be self-actualized. What if I told you God and everything you need is inside your being; your True Nature. So, for the silent majority out there that is looking for more; that sees the world as vast and connective, then this book will connect you to something more – something larger: A Responsive Universe…

More than a decade ago, I wrote a self-published work which I affectionately calledThe Sixth Tier, A Handbook to Enlightenment. Good luck trying to find it now! It was composed of six chapters which focused on various ways to search and find self-actualization in a world of indifference. I wrote this book in response to a series of life changing epiphanies or awakenings that engulfed me in 2001. After hitting rock bottom after the still birth loss of my first child and namesake, I found a new and enlightened vision of the world we live in. I truly believe you sometimes have to hit rock bottom before you can evolve to the next level of consciousness. Sadly though, my new-found awareness was quickly besieged by ego and false-self, which unfortunately muddled my True Nature. 10 years ago, I understood how the Universe worked and my place within this grand dominion, but I was far from releasing myself from the perils of ego and false-self. In hindsight, the Sixth Tier reflected a lot of this anger and ego in small refined levels.

The Sixth Tier, 2001

The Sixth Tier did get an offer from a small independent publisher but I decided to have it self-published instead. I was hesitant to accept the publishing offer for several reasons. First, I was going to have to sign away the rights of a book that I put my heart and soul in. Secondly, I was not finished with the whole body of work – I knew deep down this was not my best foot forward; there was room for improvement. Due to the pressures of ego and other false perceptions, I rushed the entire writing process. It became more about being a published author and less about the final product; an error in hindsight. There are many good elements to The Sixth Tier, but it was not a completion of the process – it did not reflect my life’s work. Thus, at the end of The Sixth Tier I wrote, “To be continued”.

Since 2002, I have studied Buddhism extensively and I have continued to put to work the many ideas and concepts found in my first published effort. One of my decade long goals was to bridge science with spirituality and meditate on a daily basis. More than a decade later I have emerged as a much more complete person. I have challenged my false self and settled into a new-found notion of True Nature – an unwavering energy found within that is driven by a Quantum Universe. Over the years I have toyed with new ideas and wrestled with old philosophical quandaries. About three years ago a new-found inspiration encircled me. I began to rewrite The Sixth Tier as it should have been years ago and in 2011 I again self-published the rewrite now known as the The Responsive Universe – Meditations and Daily Life Practice (recently pulled from the shelves).

I was a little disappointed I could not get the Responsive Universe printed by a traditional publisher. I am sure many of you know how tough it is to be a published writer. Even after self-publishing the RU, I actively pursued handfuls of smaller wellness and boutique publishers. I did not lose faith! I was successful in getting several articles published by MindBodyGreen and All Things Healing. My social footprint on Facebook and Twitter grew as well. Eventually through luck and my own positive manifestations, the RU was picked up by Wisdom Moon Publishing in 2013. Wisdom Moon Publishing is a boutique publisher with an emphasis on wellness, mindfulness and philosophy. It was a perfect fit!

We all have within our grasp the ability to wield the power of quantum energy as it relates to the Universe and our intrinsic True Nature. Based on science and inspired by Buddhist ideals and new world philosophy, the Responsive Universe will lead the reader into a world of self-discovery, karma and wellness.. By following the creative and insightful meditations and daily life practices, you will begin to free yourself from a false-self that may unknowingly govern your actions and reactions; the result being a spacious new vision of your true-self: A boundless vision bathed under the liberating light of self-actualization and enlightenment.

In Part II. of my journey toward publishing the new and improved Responsive Universe – Why this book is different and how it will change your life much like it changed mine….

Can insecurity be your friend? Kind of an odd question isn’t it. I would imagine we all harbor insecurities in some facet; maybe sometimes unknowingly. You know, the concept of enlightenment is just that… a concept. We can all understand what enlightenment means. My understanding includes endless bliss with no suffering: Buddha Nature… That is just it, Buddha Nature is a concept and not necessarily a place that exists within reality. Now, you may be thinking, “well, shit, why have I been reading your dumb blog?”. Hey, even the Dalai Lama has bad days. No one is free from the perils of conflict, challenge, loss and emotional and physical pain. It is part of life. The polar opposites of pain and bliss coexist so that we can find some sort of middle ground in this thing called life. The idea is to understand that we do in fact live in a Responsive Universe and that our goal is to be mindful of the concept of enlightenment and balance that with our ego and false-self.

So, how can insecurity be your friend?

Experience has shown that we need to push ourselves to be better. Most of the world it seems is walking down hill – following – taking the easy path. Yet self-discovery and social evolution requires you to walk up hill. One such shift in perception is putting yourself out there to be appreciated and discovered. When the ego is involved, there are complexities involving fear, guilt, shallow self-confidence and insecurity. These superficial emotions are not who you are. Underneath the shell of a reality that society has molded is your True Nature – unadulterated and unfettered. When you connect to your true-self, void of ego, you find true empowerment – authentic fulfillment. The idea is simple… Be mindful when you feel insecure…. It is a road sign in life to change direction… Do something different that challenges you to leave your shell and break the chains of insecurity.

But how do we get to this level of space and clarity? By pushing yourself – By walking up hill instead of down hill. You will know you are shifting your thoughts and actions in the right direction when you feel naked and insecure to those around you. That is your ego intervening – saying you are not good enough in the eyes of others. Again…. This insecurity you feel is not who you are – only a distorted reflection. A good rule of thumb in life is this – if you feel insecure or if making a positive change in your life seems abrasive or difficult; If there is internal insecurities that arise from within, then you are challenging your ego. This is good! Once you fulfill a seemingly uncomfortable task like publishing your writing or art, breaking up from a toxic relationship or quitting that dead-end job to pursue college – whatever your advancement, if it is a little abrasive or difficult, odds are that means you are on the right path. Be mindful of this and create the space inward and outward to make small but positive changes away from insecurity and into the warm bathing light of self-confidence.

The Universe gave birth to all known elements that exist here on Earth. A simple chemical circumstance; born from basic elements like hydrogen and carbon, led to the origins of life on Earth. The right mixture of compounds, light, temperature and natural electricity (lightning) is all that is needed to create the building blocks for cellular structure. These early compounds were the ancestors of DNA. Gravity brought various molecules together to form the first cells which then became more complex elementary compounds. It took hundreds of millions of years for the first tiny plant like organisms to sprout, giving off oxygen. We as humans are a thread that connects back to the first cells that inhabited Earth billions of years ago. Humans are a survivor of adaption and evolution. It has not been a perfect process. Still, 14 billion years of cosmic evolution can breed many possibilities; especially when there are basic life building elements like water, carbon, oxygen and light available for the Responsive Universe to dabble with.

“We are the product of 4.5 billion years of fortuitous, slow

biological evolution. There is no reason to think that the

evolutionary process has stopped.”

– Carl Sagan

Humans continue to evolve today. Over the course of the next few thousand years there will be shifts in our development both biologically and socially. Will adaptation and natural selection weed out the weak and unnecessary? I thought long and hard about this philosophical quandary and at first my heart settled on the notion that people who are connected to the sublime energy that is our surroundings and the Universe; people with mindfulness, compassion and a giving nature would evolve to the next level in our human story – leaving behind those that live through greed, fear and ego to eventually wither away. One facet of evolution is how animals tend to breed with other animals that appear strong, attractive and healthy. In humanistic terms, when I think of strengths I think of people living through their True Nature and not their ego. My idea of strength is fighting for what is right, helping others, gaining wisdom and offering love and compassion to those in need. Strength is fighting our compulsions and addictions and not being a slave to our control patterns. Logic would serve that people who are searching for self-actualization would be more likely to carry on their genes generations later; mainly due to the energy and vibration they may surround themselves with. Yet, who continues to hold on to the power? War Lords and dictators, religions based on blind faith and greedy corporations that control our food and money. It is kind of fucked up….

All we have is history to look back on. For hundreds of thousands of years man has evolved leaving behind the Stone Age to be greeted by the Modern Age. Still under the social static of dogma and progression is this human instinct to dominant – For thousands of years there has been war as stronger tribes or nations weed out the weak manipulating and raping resources along the way. What does this mean for our evolution? What does this mean for our social evolution? What does this mean for our species? I got to be honest and say that my gut tells me our evolution is a path to human extinction. With climate change, war, global starvation and water and natural resources being plundered, the future does not look positive. Granted it will take another 1000 years to destroy ourselves but we are off to a good start – especially the last century.

For hundreds if not thousands of years, there have been philosophers, light workers and philanthropists that humbly give and do not selfishly take – yet this is a minority that though noble, is not something that has evolved into our commonplace society. Why? Our world has always been ruled by a powerful few that controls the masses. I know in my heart and soul that giving, compassion and love is the true path of our evolutionary existence, but will this path lead to a holistic utopia or will greed and gluttony send us on a path of extinction?

In many ways evolution (especially social evolution) is a personal choice. We all have choices to make on even the most personal levels: Eating right and exercising; meditation and expanding our minds – connecting to nature and the sublime energies that created the Universe. These acts of progression lead to a more self-actualized future. It is our obligation to teach our children the same virtues. If an environment fosters the capacity for change, then adaptions will foster the evolution of species. As environments change, so do the creatures that inhabit it. Change is relative and if the right surroundings are present, then anything can happen. The birth of humans and our conscious thought is proof of that…

So, as we continue on with our human experience we are faced with two veering paths. One is a path of mediocrity, wrought with conflict and suffering – the path of ego. And then there is the difficult path up hill that leads to wisdom, compassion, space, clarity and responsiveness. It is a path that leads to self-actualization… It is not the easier path, but when we listen to our inner voice and not the ego that many times unknowingly governs existence, there is another world to be discovered – a Responsive Universe….

…and so I trudge forward on my own path of human, social and spiritual evolution….

I personally feel today’s contemporary view on God and religion is this prepackaged vision of an incomplete revelation of totality. It’s like an antenna reaching up to the heavens above but only broadcasting one of many signals in the broad spectrum of the Universe (kind of like Fox News). Each of the planets many religions are unique to its own region and cultural evolution and yes each is very similar in its merits and basic message. But what is this seemingly universal view of God as a Supreme Being? On the outside, looking in I see distinct shades of inequality, a disconnect from self, increased fear and learned dogma when we do not see ourselves as equal to God. Buddhism leaves open the prospect of equality across man and spirituality – probably why Buddhist philosophy resonates so well with me. So in my own spiritual pursuits, I have never been a big proponent of a Supreme Being. When I dig down deep within my gut, my intuition tells of a different story. It is the story of a vast and even infinite Universe of light, vibration and energy. The Cosmos is everything and broken down to the most common denominator, that is really the definition of God isn’t it? …..EVERYTHNG. When we look at the word EVERYTHING we need to consider ourselves as part of this equation. You can look at the Universe and marvel at its impressiveness and power. Like the concept of God the Universe is infinite, creates life and is a place where anything is possible. We can see the Universe as this massive entity separate from humanity and consciousness or we can see the Universe and us as one – simply a product of each other. Humans considered separate from the Cosmos seem small, inferior and lacking but when we see ourselves as an integral and intrinsic part of the Universe it opens the door to a whole new understanding of self. Instead of relying on blind faith or others for salvation, the chalice of enlightenment exists within. When we see ourselves as products of the Universe and the Universe as products of us we find new empowerment, fear dissolves and there is this feeling within that yes, anything is possible. This is an unsettling notion to religious leaders. To find God outside the Church or outside a specific religion would change the entire global social-political/spiritual model. The same people would not be in power after such a shift in perspective. Would there be less war? Would we unite more and join forces to abolish slavery, famine an inequality?

What is God?

God is a boundless orb, an infinite sphere; a Universe whose presence is felt by the mind and the senses. God’s infinite sphere has a center that is everywhere and a circumference that is boundless. God is an indescribable celestial consciousness that guides and directs all life in form and non-form. With this in mind, we know logically that books and rules cannot truly govern our faith. The Dalai Lama summed it up elegantly, “There are billions of people on this Earth, each with their own individual, spiritual needs. It seems we need billions of religions too.”

We talk about eating right, exercise and meditation all the time in the wellness community. What about Universal Love? Another facet of living healthy is being mindful of energy as it relates to the Universe. Finding your center in the beauty of it all… Universal love is a source of instinctual energy –the essence of God; it is everything…. Further, the light of all things created (the Universe); this dynamism of energy, vibration, life, and beauty – is universal love. Universal love is the positive Quantum energy that flows through the Universe – a Mandala of birth, life and rebirth… Philosophically, universal love holds all things in the cosmos together – gravity, quantum physics and our instinctual, conscious connection to it all… Love is where we come from and where we will return. It is the law of the Universe…

Too gratuitous and far-fetched…?

Understanding love in terms of the Universe opens us up to seeing that everything comes from one source, a natural order of life based on love and energy. That one source is the essence of God as it relates to the Universe. Love and God are interwoven in the beauty we see all around us. Staying centered and living a karmic life allows us to embrace love in all forms. Love improves your quality of life in all arenas. It builds strong self-esteem, facilitates intelligence, and, most importantly, feeds the inner-self with positive Quantum energy.

Seems simple enough?

Be aware of your constant streaming of thoughts including likes and dislikes. Let negative reactions be a trigger that it is time to find your center again. Hate, aggression, and envy are trappings of theego. Turn away from these negative energies and focus on what is dependable and constant in life; yourTrue Nature. Open yourself up to this universal love and have the clarity to shower it on others around you. Universal love is the gateway to bliss and happiness. The more you center yourself within, the more your life and surroundings will respond with good luck, good energy and illumination.